The present invention relates to a vent assembly, and in particular to a vent assembly intended for compartment spaces of vehicles, such as truck cabs, recreational vehicles, marine vessels, and the like. In particular, the present invention relates to the type of vent assembly disclosed in our U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,791, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.
As described in the '791 patent, vent assemblies, and particularly window assemblies, are well known in the art for various applications in commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, and marine vessels. For example, a conventional window assembly is manufactured by Hehr Company of Los Angeles, Calif., for commercial truck cabs. This assembly comprises a window assembly typically located in a side panel of a sleeper compartment of a commercial truck. The window assembly of this prior art device has a frame structure with at least two, and typically three, panes of glass carried by the frame structure. At least one of the panes of glass is movable relative to the frame structure to provide a vent path through the window assembly.
The invention disclosed in our '791 patent was intended to provide an improved vent assembly, and particularly a window vent assembly, wherein the vent is mounted in an opening, for example in a unitary piece of glass. This vent is operably positionable between an open position where an air flow path is defined through the vent into the vehicle compartment, and a closed position wherein the air flow path is sealed. The vent assembly includes an operable vent which is preferably rotatably mounted within the frame structure of the vent assembly so as to be rotatable relative to the frame structure. The vent can thereby be positioned to act as a forced air vent or an exhaust vent.
The present invention provides an improved rotatable vent assembly generally of the type described in our '791 patent.